Hot Chocolate and a Bunch of Marshmallows
by Venus163
Summary: This is a collection of short, song-based stories with an unnamed couple. Please Read and Review and send a song request if you like. (MARSHMALLOWS #3 &4 UP)
1. Marshmallow #1

~Hot Chocolate and a Bunch of Marshmallows: Short Stories~  
By Venus163  
  
  
  
A/N: Hi, everyone. Since there's a whole bunch of short stories that I've started, I've decided to put them in a collection for everyone's enjoyment. And, since most of my stories have inspiration from a song, for the ones that are based on them I will put the song at the end of the story, so it's kind of my trademark. ^.^  
  
Hot Chocolate is meant as the warm feeling you get when you read a good, romantic story (which I try to give you) and the Marshmallows are the stories! So, you can have as many marshmallows in your hot chocolate as you want! (Or as many as I am able to write and upload)  
  
Well, anyway, this first Marshmallow is based on a song by Dream, from their CD 'It Was All a Dream'. And, since I didn't mention any names, it can be any couple you wish (that's not yaoi and yuri).   
  
OK. Read and Review (And please enjoy).  
  
  
  
*~*~*MARSHMALLOW #1:How Long*~*~*  
  
  
  
She was silent as she mused, face furrowed in thought. Or more in wishing, to be exact. Wishing that she wasn't alone tonight.  
  
All her girlfriends had boyfriends. Why not her? Was there something about her that just didn't click with guys?  
  
She shook her head gently, biting her lower lip. No, now that she thought about it, she could name a few guys who had shown interest in her. But that was it… interest. Nothing more, but usually a whole lot less. They were all shallow, those guys… well, at least *she* thought so.  
  
Again she asked herself the question that she had asked herself for as long as she could remember…  
  
How long?  
  
That was the question, yet it meant so much more than it seemed to hint at.  
  
She sank into a nearby chair, keeping her eyes on the starry night through the window. Starlight, star bright: the little nursery poem. How many times had she recited it, hoping?  
  
She drew her knees up to her chest and circled them with her arms, chin resting lightly on her knees. So many questions arose with the simple one that she had wondered just a little while ago.  
  
How long…  
  
…Until she had no need to dream anymore?  
  
…Until she could laugh at herself for feeling this way?  
  
…Until… until she could fall in love…  
  
She choked back the sob that threatened to come, and instead fixed her gaze on a particularly large, bright star. She had learnt the hard way that it was foolish to wish on it. Instead, she tried to imagine what her dream guy would look like.  
  
He would have deep eyes, and a voice that would send shivers down her spine. He would be tall, so he would have to look down to look at her. Without a doubt he'd be handsome… in his own, special, way of course. He'd be a romantic guy, someone with a sentimental streak in him that she had noticed most other guys lacked. And best of all…  
  
Best of all, he'd love her. *Her*. And that was what caused the sigh to escape her lips at the unknown person.  
  
She didn't know when she had started to imagine him into existence. By now, he was so familiar that she could imagine everything from his kisses to how it felt to be held in his arms. Well, nearly everything, that is.  
  
His face and voice were still unclear to her. Obviously they wouldn't be clear until she had actually met him in reality. But… what were the chances of that? Of the chances that someone actually cared about her… for who she was? Not for what she looked like, or what she could do. But… for *her*…  
  
She stood and stumbled over to her dresser, picking up a small mirror. Trembling, she raised the looking glass up to her face, so she could see her reflection. Each moment that she stared at her image she cursed herself for being this way. She cursed herself for being a girl that no one could love... a girl that no one *would* love.  
  
She watched several tears roll down her cheeks. Tears… they were nothing but a weakness. They only revealed suffering.  
  
Her expression changed swiftly to one of anger and frustration. With a cry, she flung the mirror as hard as she could to the ground… and she watched it shatter.  
  
Then, the tears were coming like a flood, and she couldn't stop them. Sobbing, she fell to her knees, supporting herself with her hands, ignoring the pain as sharp shards of glass bit into the soft palms of her hands, drawing blood.   
  
  
  
She sat stiffly on the steps leading down to the river, its waters stretching almost as far as she could see. Her mind felt numb, her heart felt numb… her whole body and soul felt numb. She couldn't feel anything acutely; earlier when she had picked the pieces of glass out of her palms she had only felt a vague pain.  
  
A large honk from a boat caught her attention, and she slowly turned her head to look at the source of the noise. It was a small yacht, expensive looking. It was sailing lazily in the waters, sails gently flapping in the light breeze. It seemed as delicate as a toy.  
  
But that wasn't what caught her attention. What did was the couple that were sitting on deck, their arms around each other and looking as if nothing could harm them anymore, as long as they remained together. Two of her friends.  
  
Her heart was suddenly struck with a dull pain. A flash of envy passed through her before quickly fading into nothing. Being jealous wouldn't change anything. It was just a waste of energy and emotion.  
  
Her eyes slowly drifted away, and as she could think of nothing in this state, decided to stare at a tree branch that slowly moved up and down with the lapping waves.  
  
"Hey…"  
  
She turned and looked up slowly to see the source of the voice. "Hey," she managed to answer.  
  
"Lovely day, isn't it?" He settled down next to her, his eyes never leaving the river.  
  
"Guess so." She just didn't care anymore. He was one of her friends; she couldn't tell him to leave, even though she didn't really feel like talking to anyone right now.   
  
He began to talk about something, something about their other friends. She knew that he was uncomfortable. He was only trying to start a conversation. Maybe he couldn't bear the silence but she welcomed it. The monotonous silence.   
  
Her eyes searched for the branch, which by then had floated up next to the yacht. Upon seeing the couple again, the dull ache became a little sharper. She then decided to study the stone steps around her.  
  
Suddenly, she felt something grab her wrist. She stared at the hand around it and slowly followed the arm connected to it to see its owner.  
  
"What happened to your hands?" He asked in a strange, almost choked voice.  
  
She decided to be truthful. "I broke a mirror yesterday," she answered in clipped tones.  
  
He let go of her, and she couldn't help but be curious as she watched him. He took the bottom of his shirt and to her utter astonishment that shot through her numbness, he began to rip it.  
  
"What are you doing?" she asked, shocked.  
  
He grunted his reply. He tore the bottom of his shirt into several long strips. Then, taking her hands, he began to wrap them, almost tenderly.  
  
It was this that made the numbness fade away and her defenses crash down.  
  
"What are you doing?" she repeated, struggling to speak.  
  
"Helping your hands heal," he told her, finishing up and letting go of her hands.  
  
Her throat was so choked up she could only say one word. "Why?"  
  
He avoided her gaze. He became obsessed with finding small pebbles and trying to skip them on the water, though he was not very successful, being at such a height. He seemed to be fighting with himself over something, and one part must have won because suddenly he looked up and said her name.  
  
She waited, her heart racing, though she didn't know why.  
  
Without warning, he pulled her rather roughly into his arms and buried his face in her hair.  
  
His lips next to her ear, he whispered three sacred words that she had dreamed so long of hearing…  
  
"I love you."  
  
As he held her lovingly in his arms, understanding finally dawned on her. Her wishes of being loved, of finding love, her wishes on stars… while she had waited they hadn't come true…  
  
… Because they already had. She could feel him tremble with emotion, and suddenly she saw her angel.  
  
Yes, he was tall… not too tall, but tall enough to have to look down into her eyes. Yes, he had the melodious voice, and the romantic streak. Yes, he had deep eyes, and as she gazed at him, his face cleared, until it became that of the person holding her in his arms right at that moment…  
  
She'd found him. She hadn't needed to ask how long it would be until she'd meet him, for she had already met him, had known him for what seemed like forever. She had met him before any of her wishes, before she even wanted to feel love…  
  
And she had felt love for him before all that. She had loved him without realizing it. Her heart had sent her a message in the form of a mysterious angel. She had taken it the wrong way, but now, she vowed that she would never make that same mistake again.  
  
Tears escaped from her eyes, and she drew in a long, shuddering sob of happiness.  
  
Abruptly he pulled away from her, eyes filled with fear. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to make you cry. I shouldn't have told you... I'm so sorry…"  
  
She shyly reached out and held his hand. She said his name in such a way that he immediately looked up. "You know what?" she asked softly.  
  
He looked at the ground, but as she studied his profile she noted in satisfaction that the last requirement was certainly there. Yes, he was handsome… in his own way, of course… but to her… he was wildly so…  
  
"I love you too…"  
  
His head shot up. He gazed at her incredulously, his jaw having dropped open. He clasped her hands, and said in a low voice, "Do you mean it? Because if you're just playing with me, I would just die…"  
  
She shook her head gently, eyes devouring him, trying to imprint this picture of him in her heart for eternity. "I mean it. I love you."  
  
She watched as a look of pure joy crossed his face, one that made her heart pound in her ears. He let go of one of her hands and caressed her cheek, running his hand through her hair. He hesitated, before murmuring, "You're so beautiful…"  
  
She felt tears in her eyes again. She had never before been called beautiful. Sure, she had been called pretty several times, but never beautiful.  
  
The tears overflowed and traveled down her cheeks. He let go of her other hand, cupped her face gently, and began to wipe away the tears with his lips.  
  
He met her gaze, and she could see his deep eyes softening. She hesitantly asked softly, "Could you… could you kiss me?"  
  
He looked at her for a long moment before leaning down and pressing his lips lightly to his.  
  
A burst of feeling, of extreme emotion exploded at their first contact. A warm feeling ran through her veins, as she started to kiss him back. She was vaguely aware that his hands had slipped down to her waist, and was pulling her towards him and holding her there tightly. Instinctively her arms went around his neck.  
  
"I love you," he whispered against her lips, and she knew by the way that he said it and the way that he held her that he would never let her go…  
  
And that was just fine with her.  
  
  
  
The sun was setting, and the couple on the yacht turned their eyes towards the shore.  
  
"I had a wonderful time," the girl said shyly, holding his hand. "Thank you."  
  
He blushed. "I…"  
  
Suddenly, the girl pointed at the shore. "Hey! Isn't that…"  
  
She trailed off, but both squinted hard against the light to see. A couple sat on the steps, obviously in love. The girl was sitting up, smiling, while the guy had lay down and laid his head in her lap. She was stroking his hair gently.   
  
And both were close friends of the couple in the boat.  
  
"You're right," he said, surprised. "I never expected them to get together."  
  
"It's just as well," the girl said cheerfully, holding onto his hand. "You can see now that they belong together."  
  
As the sun began to disappear over the horizon, the guy in the girl's lap sat up, putting his arms around her. Their foreheads touched softly, until he leaned over and kissed her.  
  
"How romantic," sighed the girl on the yacht. "A sunset kiss…"  
  
Without warning, her boyfriend grabbed her and gave her a sunset kiss of her own.  
  
  
  
~+~How Long~+~  
-Dream-  
  
There's a place in my heart  
That I go when I dream  
A place that nobody can see  
Every night I see love  
I see someone who's waiting  
Waiting for someone like me  
He must be out there  
Somewhere, someone for me  
  
Tell me how long  
Till I'm not just dreaming  
How long, till somebody cares  
How long, till I meet an angel  
And give him my heart,   
When can I start  
How long till I fall in love…  
  
I sit every night  
By my window just wishing  
And searching for one perfect star  
Can anyone hear me  
Dunno if you're listening  
Please send him right here  
To my arms  
He must be out there  
Somewhere, waiting for me  
  
Tell me just how long, will it be...  
  
Tell me how long  
Till I'm not just dreaming  
How long, till somebody cares  
How long, till I meet an angel  
And give him my heart,   
When can I start  
How long till I fall in love…  
  
I've always believed  
That my dreams would come true  
That one of these nights  
He would appear  
He'd be here in my arms  
I see it all, so clearly  
How it could be  
I wish he was kissing me now...  
  
Tell me how long (how long)  
Till I'm not just dreaming  
How long, till somebody cares (till somebody cares)  
How long, till I meet an angel (my angel...)  
And give him my heart (heart...)  
When can I start  
How long till I fall in love (in love...)  
  
How long till I fall in love...  
How long till I fall in love...  
How long till I fall in love...  
  
  
  
END OF MARSHMALLOW #1  
  
  
  
A/N: Did you feel all warm and fuzzy inside? If you did, I did my job right, but if you didn't, I am a sorry excuse for a writer and will try harder on Marshmallow #2.   
  
Speaking of Marshmallow #2, if anyone has a song request they'd like to make, just send me an E-Mail or include it in the review (I said WITH the review, *hint, hint*) and I will try to get some inspiration from it. Also, I will dedicate it to you, the sender.  
  
Well, ta ta! I'm off to scout for the song for Marshmallow #2. But I'd be ever so grateful if I had one sent to me.  
  
Ja ne!  
  
-Venus163 


	2. Marshmallow #2

~HOT CHOCOLATE AND A BUNCH OF MARSHMALLOWS: SHORT STORIES~  
By Venus163  
  
A/N: Ok. The reason that it took this long to get this out was because I was thinking. Should I upload a rather depressing Marshmallow that has a happy ending at the end? But then again, if it was depressing, it wouldn't be hot chocolate... or would it? It *has* a happy ending...  
  
I got confused, so I decided not to put it up until I was sure. So, instead, I went and searched for another inspirational song and made a story out of that!  
  
For all the people who thought Marshmallow #1 was confusing, let me tell you that I kept using 'he', 'she', his', 'him,' and 'her' to avoid saying any names, so the readers could fill it in with their favorite couple. Keeping that in mind, see if Marshmallow #2 is any easier to understand. I tried to make sure that it was.  
  
For anyone who wanted to know which couple I personally thought Marshmallow #1 was about... I pictured it to be a Kenyako, with the little Takari, but that's just me. It just depends on how you see it.  
  
On to the long-awaited Marshmallow #2! (Or so I hope!)  
  
  
  
*~*~*MARSHMALLOW #2: I Love You*~*~*  
  
  
  
He walked slowly, hands in his pockets, his brow furrowed deeply. Lights began to shine as the sun began to lazily set into the horizon, shades of red and orange coloring the sky.  
  
But he didn't notice any of it. His mind was fixed on one thing… on one person, rather. A very controversial someone.  
  
Every time he thought of her a smile threatened to break through his serious expression, every time he thought of her sweet smile and caring nature. Every time the smile almost began to take place, he would remember a certain, tiny little fact that would immediately wipe the smile-to-be from his face, a little fact that was rather important.  
  
She thought of him as a friend.  
  
In frustration he grunted, kicking a small pebble that was on the sidewalk. She was his friend, too. He wasn't supposed to fall in love with his friend. That only happened in movies and TV. It never worked out in real life. She didn't love him, their friendship was ruined, and she would be uncomfortable around him.  
  
And that was something that he was sure that he couldn't stand. Her friendship was better than nothing. Meaning something was better than meaning nothing to her. He was absolutely positive she meant the world to him, but he was also quite as sure that he didn't mean that much to her. He was *just* a friend, after all.  
  
He suddenly jerked his head up and stopped. She was here, somewhere. He could sense her presence. No one else had that sweet, loving aura. His friends could scoff all they wanted at this but he could swear that every time she was near him he could sense her.   
  
He gave a mental whoop of victory as he saw her, walking towards him on the sidewalk. Less than a few seconds later, however, his mind went blank.  
  
All he could do was stare. His eyes were glued to her, and that was all that seemed to matter. Her hair was free, blowing softly in the wind, a slight smile on her face as she stepped carefully, avoiding the cracks in the sidewalk like a schoolgirl. She was wearing a knee-length dress that flapped against her legs with the wind, and as she smoothed it down, she looked up and saw him.  
  
Her lips curled into a big smile, causing his knees to go weak. He had made her smile! And as that thought struggled to sink in, she waved and started to walk faster towards him, causing him to hold his breath in wonder.   
  
She reached him at the lights. "Hi!" she greeted cheerfully.  
  
His throat was stuck, and it took a great amount of effort for him to squeak out, "Hi."  
  
She giggled before asking, "So what brings you to this part of town?"  
  
He stammered, "Um… stuff…"  
  
"Stuff?" she raised an eyebrow.  
  
"Yeah… stuff…"  
  
She shrugged, but the sunny smile remained on her face. "I've been out window shopping. You do know that it's best to start your holiday shopping early. You need to avoid the rush."  
  
He nodded, his eyes fixed on her face.   
  
She stared down at the ground, suddenly out of things to say.   
  
It was his chance to tell her, the perfect opportunity. Only a fool would let it go by…   
  
His love for her was rising, but he quickly remembered why he had never told her before. Friendship was the only thing bonding them together. If he told her now, that one bond would break.  
  
But that wouldn't necessarily be the case. Maybe she cared for him, too. Not love him, but maybe like-like him. Maybe then that bond would be strengthened by one of love, or at least of liking.  
  
He looked at her, a strange sound escaping his throat, causing her to look up. The words were on the tip of his tongue, when suddenly they jammed themselves in his throat, rendering speech useless. All the things he wanted to say faded from his mind, and all he could do was stare at her.  
  
Moments passed…  
  
She turned her head, averting her gaze. He could have sworn that she had looked disappointed… but it was probably his imagination.  
  
"I… I better start going home," she said softly.  
  
He could only nod.  
  
"I… I'll see you sometime… right?"  
  
He nodded again.  
  
Then, she slipped past him and walked away down the sidewalk, her head held high.  
  
She didn't look back.  
  
It wasn't until she was out of sight that his muscles finally obeyed him, and the words untangled themselves from his throat and rested on his tongue again. What he was going to say to her came back, word for word, until he could almost read it in his mind.  
  
But he kept his gaze sorrowfully fixed on the direction where she had gone. It had always been like this, for as long as he could remember. He would be calm and collected until the time came. Then, he couldn't say anything and he couldn't think, and she would just walk away.  
  
He knew that one of these days, she would walk away from him and out of his life.  
  
He was aware of how much more acutely he felt the cold, night wind on his bare skin, and how his solitude and the feeling of loneliness came back, stronger than ever.  
  
Whenever she was around, he didn't seem to sense any cold, and he always felt needed and like he… like he belonged.  
  
He knew that if she loved him, he would never be lonely again.  
  
Finally he tore his gaze from the place where her willowy figure had disappeared. He slowly let out the words that he had been going to say…  
  
"I love you…"  
  
  
A few weeks later, he trudged slowly down the same street. He was useless. He had thought of nothing but her for the past couple weeks, but he still couldn't tell her!  
  
…How pathetic…  
  
He could suddenly feel the hairs on the back of his neck stand up. It was her… he knew it…  
  
He looked up and searched the crowd, and his sharp eye picked her out, walking towards him.  
  
This time, she looked rather unhappy, and as she came closer, he could see the traces of tears on her face.  
  
She would have passed him by without a second thought had he not reached out and grabbed her arm.  
  
She looked up at him and smiled genuinely. "Hi there."  
  
"Hi yourself," he said softly.  
  
She looked down at the ground, saying nothing.  
  
"Are you OK?" he asked worriedly. "Have you been cry-"  
  
"I'm fine," she interrupted, but he could see right through her. "Don't worry about me."  
  
He almost smiled wryly at that. It was part of him to worry about her. Telling him to not worry about her would be just like… it would be just like telling him to stop loving her. As everyone knew, him especially, love was not something that you could control.  
  
But… even if he could have controlled it, he would still love her.  
  
He came back to reality as she shook her arm free. "I… I've got to go," she said in a cheerful, low voice that almost fooled him had he not heard the slight, single tremor.  
  
But it was enough. Lies would not fool him.  
  
As she slipped past him and began to walk away, he knew somehow, beyond a doubt, that if he didn't speak now he would lose her… forever… that if he didn't speak now, he would never be able to tell her.  
  
He called out her name. "Wait…"  
  
She turned, and he felt a glimmer of hope when she looked at him.  
  
He felt the familiar jamming of his throat and the fading away of the words. He could give in to it like all the countless times before, and say nothing.  
  
No.  
  
No. It would not end like this.  
  
He would not let her just walk out of his life.  
  
With sheer will power, he forced his throat to clear. Grabbing on to the last of the words in his mind, he put all his energy into getting his voice out and blurted out…  
  
"I love you…"  
  
The world seemed to have stopped. He held his breath unknowingly, waiting for her reaction.  
  
Slowly, oh ever so slowly, she smiled. And began to cry. "I… I love you too."  
  
He stood, disbelieving, for a long moment. She… she loved him back! He… he who didn't deserve her…he who would never be good enough for her…  
  
…She had chosen *him* of all people, *him* when she could have anyone else…  
  
And then, his mind cleared and with only one thought on his mind, he went to her and pulled her into his arms. She felt so fragile, but he would never let her get hurt.  
  
He buried his face in her hair, his arms holding her close to his body, breathing in her perfume. "I love you," he murmured, trembling, as torrents of his emotions came lose, "I loved you for so long… I tried to tell you…"  
  
She pulled back slightly and put a soft hand on his cheek. "Me too," she whispered, and said his name in such a way that it sent shivers down his spine. "Me too."  
  
His gaze met hers, and slowly, he leaned down to brush her lips against his.   
  
She accepted his kiss, and even kissed him back.  
  
He kissed her softly at first, but then the lip-lock grew more and more passionate as years of waiting, of locking up his love, finally overflowed from the depths of his heart.  
  
As he tightened his grip on her waist, he thought vaguely that the nights would never be lonely and cold again now that she was his.  
  
That was his last conscious thought, for then he threw all thoughts and cares to the wind and kissed his beloved with all his might.  
  
  
A couple watched with satisfaction the man and woman sharing a loving kiss in the middle of the busy sidewalk. Nobody jostled them; the passerby just gave them knowing or wistful looks and streamed passed them. Just looking at them together gave the couple many different thoughts and feelings…   
  
…Of friendship grown to something more…   
  
…Of the courage it took to say the words…   
  
…Of the reliability they had proven to the other…   
  
…Of the sincerity of their feelings…   
  
…Of their deepest hope coming true…   
  
…Of light penetrating the darkness they had veiled themselves with…  
  
…Of the knowledge of the other's feelings giving them security…  
  
…Of their kindness to each other in times past…  
  
…Of their deep and fervent love for each other…  
  
The couple turned and looked at each other after mentally thinking of this list.  
  
"They belong together," the woman said suddenly in a soft voice.  
  
"They sure do," the man replied, putting an arm around the woman.  
  
"I hope everything works out for them."  
  
"If I know him, he'll make it work out."  
  
"And if I know her, she'll make it work out."  
  
The man leaned down and kissed her softly before taking her hand and walking away, but not before they turned back and looked at their friends sharing a kiss that would always say more than words ever could.  
  
  
  
~+~I Love You~+~  
-Sarah McLachlan-  
  
I have a smile  
Stretched from ear to ear  
To see you walking down the road  
  
We meet at the lights  
I stare for a while  
The world around us disappears  
  
It's just you and me  
On my island of hope  
A breath between us could be miles  
  
Let me surround you  
My sea to your shore  
Let me be the calm you seek  
  
Oh and every time I'm close to you  
There's too much I can't say  
And you just walk away  
  
And I forgot   
To tell you I love you  
And the night's too long  
And cold here without you  
I grieve in my condition  
For I cannot find the strength to say   
I need you so   
  
Oh and every time I'm close to you  
There's too much I can't say  
And you just walk away  
  
And I forgot  
To tell you I love you  
And the night's too long  
And cold here without you.  
I grieve in my condition  
For I cannot find the strength to say   
I need you so...  
  
  
  
END OF MARSHMALLOW #2  
  
A/N: Once again, I'd like to say that if anyone has a song request, they should send me an E-Mail to 'crescent87@hotmail.com' or include it with their review. I will try to get some inspiration from it.  
  
As you saw, Marshmallow #2 was based on Sarah McLachlan's 'I Love You'. You'll probably see a lot of stuff from me that has Sarah McLachlan in it. That's because I just love her lyrics. They always mean something once you think about if for a long time.  
  
Well, anyway, Review! You've made it this far, is it too much to ask to jot down a few works in the little box below?  
  
Ja ne!  
  
-Venus163  



	3. Marshmallow #3

~HOT CHOCOLATE AND A BUNCH OF MARSHMALLOWS: SHORT STORIES~  
By Venus163  
  
A/N: OK. If anyone thinks I'm dead, I'm not. (Duh!)  
  
This Marshmallow is in HER POV (If you haven't already noticed, I've begun switching) and I hope that you like.  
  
Is it extremely obvious that I started it out sober and than I had some sugar and got hyper towards the end? I didn't get *too* hyper, but it kinda got comic. ^.^  
  
Oh well. For any curious people, Marshmallow #2, in my opinion, happened to be a Mimato, with some Taiora. I LUV Mimato, so I'll probably imagine way more of my marshmallows as Mimatos than are necessary... (heh heh) ^.-  
  
Oh, and another thing. Is it incredibly obvious that I only know the lyrics to this song and not the melody? For all I know, the melody could be a piece of crap (no offense to any of the fans out there for this particular artist) but I like the lyrics, so I wrote this anyway.  
  
Anyway, on with Marshmallow #3 (which is to prove that I'm not dead)  
  
  
  
*~*~*MARSHMALLOW #3: Don't*~*~*  
  
  
  
She was playing the part of the fool again.  
  
She just didn't understand. She had been positive that whatever she had felt for him was long gone, had petered out.   
  
And then she had seen him again, seen him for the first time in years...  
  
And her certainty faltered.  
  
She turned, her blankets giving a quiet rustle as her body moved. She stared blankly at the wall, a thousand different emotions and thoughts flooding her mind.   
  
She just didn't understand anymore.  
  
With a deep sigh, she began her train of thought again, the train of thought that had dominated her mind for the last few hours and had refused to grant her any relieving sleep.  
  
She admitted that she *did* have a crush on him long ago... well, a large crush... a serious crush...  
  
Suddenly she sat up in her bed and shook her head. She *had* to stop lying to herself.   
  
She had loved him, and there was no question about it.  
  
She had loved him with the naïveté of a young girl, ignorant of the ways of love. She had loved him with the belief that one day, he too would love her.   
  
She smiled cynically. Oh, those days were gone. Long gone.  
  
He had never shown her anything to hint to her that he felt anything more than friendship towards her. She had tried very hard to get his attention, so he would look at her in another way than friendship...  
  
But he never did. And so, slowly, she began to drift away from him. She had begun to learn that love hurt, especially when it was one-sided.   
  
She had drifted away from them all. She had lost touch, trying to get on with her life. She was doing very well, and she had been quite sure that her love for him had been too weak to last, and had died out.  
  
But that was before she had seen him again, before she had gazed into his deep eyes and seen how handsome he had become. Not that he hadn't been handsome before, but...  
  
With a cry of frustration she let herself fall down onto her bed again. There was no way to deny that she had started to like him again, and she knew too well from experience that liking easily turned into loving.  
  
She could not afford to love him again.  
  
It would destroy whatever was left of her heart.  
  
  
"Hey!"  
  
She turned, her heartbeat quickening as she recognized him. Her mind wildly screamed to her to run, to get away before she could care and be hurt again, but her legs had frozen up and refused to obey any orders.  
  
"Hey!" he repeated as he caught up to her.  
  
"Hey," she said softly, trying not to look into his eyes, for she knew that the instant she did it would prove all her efforts to not fall in love with him again futile.  
  
"I was just wondering," he began, "if you would like to take a walk with me in the park... you know, just to catch up."  
  
Her mind was still screaming that it was still not too late to get away, to escape, but she couldn't say anything but, "Sure."  
  
His face let up with a megawatt smile. "Great!"  
  
She could feel her resolve wavering. It was just too hard...   
  
But she couldn't love him, not after how she'd been hurt in the past.  
  
"I still wish that you would have written or called me," he said reproachfully, his eyes looking down on her. "I worried about you."  
  
She said nothing, too busy trying to step away from him... he was too close...  
  
"...All the others are doing great, I saw that at the reunion about a month ago. Why didn't you come?" He asked, watching her closely.  
  
She shrugged slightly, trying desperately to slow down her heart as it speeded up more and more while listening to his deep, melodious voice, a voice that she had longed to hear for so long...  
  
No! NO! She wasn't supposed to fall in love... she couldn't...  
  
Suddenly he said her name and stopped, his eyes fixed on her. "Why won't you talk to me?" he asked, sounding a little hurt.  
  
She hesitated in answering, her heart in her throat, her mind on a time when his words had meant everything to her and how she had suffered so because of it. His eyes seemed to see right through her, and she prayed frantically that he couldn't see her inner turmoil.  
  
"I... I..."  
  
She couldn't get any more out, she was too scared, too afraid that what she feared would be inevitable.   
  
She suddenly panicked. Turning sharply, she began to walk blindly away.  
  
She had only gone a few steps when something clamped firmly onto her wrist and refused to let her go any farther. She turned slowly, dreading the question she knew that he would ask.  
  
"Why?" He asked her in a low, strained voice. "We used to have this beautiful friendship... Why did you throw it all away?"  
  
She refused to look up at him. Her eyes suddenly found the ground to be very interesting.  
  
The seconds dragged by, soon turning into minutes. His eyes never left her, and hers never left the small pebble by her feet.  
  
"Why?" he finally said again, breaking the silence.   
  
Then, the years of loving secretly, the strain of pretending that she felt nothing more than friendship for him all surfaced and her one string of realistic reason snapped.  
  
She jerked her head up and gazed at him. "Because I loved you," she said in a soft, strange voice that even *she* didn't recognize as her own.  
  
And as she saw the inevitable widening of his eyes and the dropping of his jaw, what she had just done hit her like a ton of bricks. Wrenching her wrist from his grasp, she turned and ran, a flood of tears breaking the dam that she had so carefully constructed.  
  
She was vaguely aware of his voice calling after her, pleading with her, but she ignored it and kept running, trying to run away from reality.  
  
She dashed, blinded by her tears, into the street, and that was why she didn't see the car coming.  
  
  
"Hey girlfriend, you sure you'll be all right?"  
  
She nodded slowly at her friend, who was peering worriedly at her. "I'll be fine."  
  
"It's a miracle you weren't hurt more," her perky friend chatted cheerfully. "The doctor still can't believe that you got away with no broken bones and with only scratches and bruises."  
  
She nodded, not really listening to her.  
  
"And *nobody* can believe that you slept straight for three days! Everyone believed it to be because of the accident, but when you woke up the doctor announced it to be... what was it again? Something like 'emotional exhaustion'..."  
  
She nodded absently as they walked out of the hospital and onto the busy sidewalk. She still couldn't remember why she had been so foolish to have run out into the street like that, but it had been bugging her since she had woken a week ago and she somehow knew that it was very important.  
  
"...And he was so afraid that you were in a coma or something..."  
  
She jerked her head up as she heard *his* name, right before her chatty companion mentioned something about a coma. Somehow she knew that this would be the answer to her confusion. "What? What was he doing there?"   
  
Her friend looked at her, surprised. "You mean you didn't know?"  
  
"Know what?"  
  
"That it was *him*? "  
  
" *What* was him?"  
  
Her friend looked flustered. "Well, *he* was the one that brought you into the hospital... well, more like carried. The doctor said that at first he wouldn't let go of you, he just held onto you more tightly. He said that... that they don't know what would have happened to you if he hadn't brought you then... and he never left your side for those three days you were unconscious. It was when you began to wake up that he left, after making the doctor promise to keep it from you that he was even there!"  
  
Her friend was talking about something else now, but she didn't really notice. He had carried her to the hospital after her accident, and hadn't let her go? He had sat by her side for three days and nights, and only left when he was sure that she was going to be okay?  
  
It was all coming back to her now. She had tried to... but it had been impossible, because she had never *stopped* in the first place...  
  
Her friend suddenly said her name, interrupting her thoughts.  
  
"What?" she answered.  
  
"You know, it was so obvious that you loved him," she said, winking. "It was obvious to everyone except for him. We all knew why you left... it was because you thought that he didn't care...   
  
"But he *did* care, girlfriend, more than you could ever imagine."  
  
"What..." she began to sputter, staring.  
  
"I know you still love him, so I suggest you talk to him to clear things up. Trust me on this one... oh, and speaking of talking to him, there he is! Now go and make up," her close friend of almost ten years urged, pushing her in front.   
  
It had all happened so fast, and by the time that she realized that *he* was heading towards her, her 'friend' (for she was already thinking of ways to kill her slowly) had already disappeared.  
  
"Hi," he greeted her, looking nervous. "Glad to see that you're looking well."  
  
"Hi," she repeated, blushing furiously. More than ever she was reminded that she had confessed to having loved him. To take her mind off of that, she said quickly, "Thank you for bringing me to the hospital and for staying with me. It meant a lot to me."  
  
"You're welco- How did you know?" he asked abruptly.  
  
She looked up quickly enough to have seen the slight flicker of fear in his eyes. She mentioned the name of her 'friend' that she was feeling particularly murderous towards.   
  
He sighed. "I knew that she had a big mouth."  
  
She couldn't help giggling. "You're underestimating by a lot."  
  
"I know." She watched him take a deep breath. "Can I ask you something?"  
  
"Shoot," she said, curious as to what would make him look so flustered.  
  
"You said you *loved* me, you know, as in past tense, which would mean not the present, you know, so I was just wondering... do you still *love* me? As in, right now, you know... so I'm trying to ask you if you've fallen out of love with me, or you still love me or... Do you?"  
  
He had been rambling, she knew, but she understood perfectly. Feeling her cheeks flush with even more color, she turned away from him, and before she could stop herself, she had murmured in a nearly inaudible voice...  
  
"Yes."  
  
Her hand flew to her mouth as she whirled around, preparing herself for the rejection that he would surely give her, when she saw in his eyes an intense emotion.  
  
He suddenly put his arms around her and brought her close to him.  
  
"Good," he whispered into her ear. "Because I love you too."  
  
As she looked up and gaped at him, he leaned down and kissed her. Slowly, she kissed him back.  
  
And somewhere in the background, a mutual friend of both smiled evilly, holding the camera smugly in her hands. "Perfect. Blackmail."  
  
  
  
~+~Don't~+~  
-Jewel-  
  
Don't walk too close,  
Don't breathe so soft  
And don't talk so sweet,  
And don't sing.  
Don't lay, oh, so near.  
Please, don't let me fall in love with you again.  
  
Please let me forget all those sweet smiles,  
All of the passion, all of the heat,  
The peace, the pain,  
All those blue skies, where your words were my freedom.  
Please, don't let me fall in love with you again.  
  
Too many times I've cared too much.  
I stood on the edge.  
And saw that you held my hand,  
And knowing too well  
I couldn't hide from those eyes  
Please, don't let me fall please.  
Don't let me fall in love in love with you again.  
  
  
  
END OF MARSHMALLOW #3  
  
A/N: I can never say this enough, but if you have any song request, please feel free to send them to me. Include in the review or send it to me via E-Mail (Note: My E-Mail address has changed to sincerelily@hotmail.com)   
  
This marshmallow was based on Jewel's 'Don't'. As I said before, I have no idea how the melody goes, only of the lyrics, so bear with me here.  
  
I have the song for my next Marshmallow, so I'll get it out soon.  
  
I hope you enjoyed. REVIEW PLEASE!!  
  
-Venus163  



	4. Marshmallow #4

~HOT CHOCOLATE AND A BUNCH OF MARSHMALLOWS: SHORT STORIES~  
By Venus163  
  
A/N: Wow! Two Marshmallows done in about four hours! That's very good for me.  
  
This Marshmallow is in HIS POV (I switched again) and you can probably tell that I loosened up a whole lot. It's way more humorous than my others (still, it's probably the after effects of the sugar I mentioned in Marshmallow #3).  
  
Speaking of Marshmallow #3, was anyone curious over my idea of the couple? Well, if anyone wanted to know, I thought it made a pretty good Taiora, with Mimi as Sora's evil, blackmailing friend ^.^ Though it could also be a Takari, with Miyako as Kari's blackmailer, but I personally like Taiora better.  
  
This time, I *do* know the melody and not just the lyrics. I think the song's pretty good.  
  
Just a note: This is practically 'plotless' if there is such a word. It's just a piece of fluff to tell you the truth. If fluff sickens you, then turn back NOW.  
  
Here's my 4th Marshmallow to share!  
  
  
  
*~*~*MARSHMALLOW #4: I Don't Want to Miss a Thing*~*~*  
  
  
  
He gazed at her sleeping figure, snugly nestled in his arms, and he smiled. He couldn't help it.   
  
Stretching himself, he was just about to wake her up when he hesitated, and decided against it. Sure, she would probably kill him for letting her sleep, but right now he only thought of how beautiful she looked when asleep.  
  
He looked around him from their park bench and watched the wind move through the trees, feeling content. He couldn't remember feeling this happy before. The times that he *had* felt happy had come nowhere near this bliss… not even close.  
  
His eyes wandered back down to the slim girl in his arms, and he grinned. He had been doing that a lot lately, and some of his friends wondered about his sanity, but he had just laughed and shaken them off. He chuckled noiselessly even now as he realized that he must have been smiling all the time…  
  
And anyone who appears to be smiling all the time is incredibly scary.  
  
He looked at her. He would never get tired of looking at her. She didn't believe herself to be pretty, but she was. She wasn't just pretty, she was beautiful, gorgeous, stunning, dazzling…  
  
He berated himself teasingly then about being a lovesick puppy, but to tell the truth he didn't care. He could spend all his life just looking at her.   
  
If anyone had asked him right then and there if there was anything he wanted in life, he would have answered a firm 'No' with no hesitation. She was enough… more than enough, really. He felt so safe, and loved… so *needed* when he was with her.  
  
And it was good to feel needed.  
  
Really, it was.  
  
He could remember a time when he hadn't known that she loved him, when she hadn't known of his feelings either. He had been a fool to think that she loved someone else.  
  
But he had. Jealousy had blinded him from the start… and the fact that who he had believed to be the object of her affections was one of his closest and oldest friends hadn't helped.  
  
He had boiled underneath his mask of indifference. He had boiled every time his friend had told *her* hello, or talked to her, or made her smile…  
  
But he had never hated his friend. Oh no, never. Even though he had believed it would be easier to have, he never did.  
  
For *she* could never hate anyone. She tried to be nice to everyone she knew, and she seldom failed. *Nobody* could hate her, or even dislike her. She was so perfect…  
  
He stared at the sky, watching as the sun slowly crept more and more towards the horizon.   
  
He couldn't remember when it was that he fell for her. It just seemed that he had loved her for forever. Loving her was as natural to him as breathing; it was a part of him.  
  
He could remember well when he knew, though. It had been a while, but still the memory was fresh in his brain, as if it had occurred just the day before.  
  
They had gone to a reunion of all the gang, to a picnic. They had been the last ones to leave, for it had fallen to them the tedious job of cleaning up.  
  
The sun had just set, and it was dark, though the sky was filled with sparkling stars.   
  
He had finished with cleaning up their area when he had looked up and seen her.  
  
She was putting away the remains of the dinner in a picnic basket, daintily folding the blanket that they had sat on earlier that day. She was doing everything with an unconscious grace.  
  
But it hadn't been that which had caught his attention. Rather, it was the moonlight. It shone done in silvery beams, choosing special places to shine down on…  
  
And she was one of them.  
  
One particularly large beam had shone down on her face, illuminating her features. It was right then and there that he had realized how his close friend had changed. She had grown up; she wasn't a child anymore. She had grown into a beautiful young woman…  
  
The sight was enough to make him catch his breath…  
  
And things rarely made him catch his breath.  
  
That had been the first bout of love that had attacked him. From then on, anytime she was near his eyes unconsciously fell on her. Everything she did emphasized regal grace and beauty, and he was falling harder and faster than ever…  
  
And then his friend stepped into the picture.  
  
She had been friendly with him… very friendly… far too friendly.   
  
He had been so blinded that he believed it to be love. He had believed that his precious angel loved another, and in doing so put himself in unnecessary pain.   
  
He had endured long that feeling. He was jealous, yes, but still he believed, deep down inside, that his friend was the better man. He could give her everything that she could possibly need or even want. And he…  
  
He nothing. He had felt constantly inferior to her. He didn't deserve her; she deserved someone better.  
  
He had begun to sink down into depression when an old friend appeared and fished him out again.  
  
She had sat him down and given him a blunt lecture. He couldn't help smiling at her memory. Yes, that had been her way. She didn't give people sugar-coated talks; instead, they were blunt, to-the-point lectures.   
  
She had yelled at him for being so blind. She had told him that there was nothing between the girl he loved and the man who was his friend… just friendship. She had insisted that he at least fight for her.   
  
Still, he had hesitated.  
  
And still she told him. She told him how obvious it was to everyone else how he felt about *her*, and about how *she* felt for *him*.  
  
He had been confused then, but enough of her vigor for life and love had flooded into him to forget his doubts and confess.  
  
It had been in this park, at this very same bench, as a matter of fact. He had asked her to meet him, half-wondering if she would even bother to come.  
  
She *had* come. She had looked more beautiful than ever then in his eyes, and he had almost forgotten the purpose of this meeting as he had stared at her.  
  
Almost.  
  
The echoing of his old friend's blunt words had rung in his ears still. With some hidden courage, he had blurted out his secret.  
  
He had expected rejection. He had expected her to hate him.  
  
He had expected wrong.  
  
Instead, she had thrown her arms around him and had asked him tearfully, "Why didn't you tell me sooner?"  
  
That was when life started to become bliss.  
  
One day, he had gone up to his old friend, and had tried to thank her, but she had interrupted him and in her blunt little way had said, "I understand."  
  
He never did actually tell her 'thank you'.  
  
His other friend, who he had believed to have the love of the girl that he himself loved until that fateful day in the park, was very happy for them both.  
  
His thoughts were suddenly jerked back from Memory Lane as *she* stirred in his arms.  
  
"Morning," he drawled.  
  
She looked dazed for a moment before she wrinkled up her nose. "I told you to wake me up if I fell asleep!"  
  
He chuckled. "You were so serene… and beautiful… I couldn't ruin it…"  
  
She blushed, but asked, "How long have I been dozing?"  
  
He shifted and looked at his watch. "Oh, about an hour."  
  
"An hour?!" she exclaimed unbelievingly as she stared at him. "What have you been doing for that hour?"  
  
He shrugged, eyes never leaving her face. "I dunno… just sitting here… watching you… thinking…"  
  
"Thinking of what?" she asked as she stood up and playfully dragged him to his feet.  
  
"You. Me. Us."  
  
She smiled at him brightly. "For a whole hour?"  
  
He smiled back, pulling her into his arms. "I'm afraid to close my eyes, to tell you the truth. Every time I do, I almost panic thinking that this is all a dream that I'll wake up from."  
  
She stood on her toes and kissed him slowly and lingeringly. "Can anything that sweet be a dream?" she teased.  
  
He shook his head, and teased back, "If you kiss me again you can convince me."  
  
She laughed, and kissed him again. "Tell me… why didn't you doze yourself?"  
  
He smiled at her. "I told you, I was too busy looking at you."  
  
"How come?"  
  
"Other than the fact that you're beautiful and wonderful to look at? Well… I don't want to miss anything about you."  
  
"Pardon?"  
  
He grinned. "You heard me."  
  
"I know. I just don't understand."  
  
He pulled her closer. "You're everything to me, don't you understand? I want to know everything about you… I want to be there for you whenever you need me…"  
  
He didn't have to say more, for she smiled and hugged him tightly. "I love you."  
  
"I love you too." He paused, before looking down at her with puppy dog eyes. "Can I kiss you again?"   
  
She laughed. "You didn't even have to ask."  
  
  
"How sweet!" exclaimed the girl as she watched in the shadows.  
  
Her companion chuckled. "You're such a romantic."  
  
"And you're not?" she retorted. "Anyway, I take special interest in this certain couple because I…"  
  
"I know, because you helped him along," he said, rolling his eyes purposefully in order to get a glare from her.   
  
"You didn't help at all," she told him indignantly. "Can you believe that he thought that *she* was in love with *you* of all people?!"  
  
"Hey! It's not my fault I'm so good-looking!"  
  
She tried to hide a smile. "What can I do to lower your ego?" she asked sarcastically.  
  
He answered her seriously. "You know, you could kiss me."  
  
She did just that.  
  
  
  
~+~I Don't Want To Miss A Thing~+~  
-Aerosmith-  
  
I could stay awake just to hear you breathing  
Watch you smile while you are sleeping  
While you're far away and dreaming  
I could spend my life in this sweet surrender  
I could stay lost in this moment forever  
Well, every moment spent with you  
Is a moment I treasure  
  
I don't wanna close my eyes  
I don't wanna fall asleep  
'Cause I'd miss you, babe  
And I don't wanna miss a thing  
'Cause even when I dream of you  
The sweetest dream would never do  
I'd still miss you, babe  
And I don't wanna miss a thing  
  
Lying close to you  
Feeling your heart beating  
And I'm wondering what you're dreaming  
Wondering if it's me you're seeing  
Then I kiss your eyes and thank God we're together  
And I just wanna stay with you  
In this moment forever, forever and ever  
  
I don't wanna close my eyes  
I don't wanna fall asleep  
'Cause I'd miss you, babe  
And I don't wanna miss a thing  
'Cause even when I dream of you  
The sweetest dream would never do  
I'd still miss you, babe  
And I don't wanna miss a thing  
  
I don't wanna miss one smile  
I don't wanna miss one kiss  
Well, I just wanna be with you  
Right here with you, just like this  
I just wanna hold you close  
Feel your heart so close to mine  
And stay here in this moment  
For all the rest of time  
  
Don't wanna close my eyes  
Don't wanna fall asleep  
'Cause I'd miss you, babe  
And I don't wanna miss a thing  
'Cause even when I dream of you  
The sweetest dream would never do  
'Cause I'd still miss you, babe  
And I don't wanna miss a thing  
  
I don't wanna close my eyes  
I don't wanna fall asleep  
'Cause I'd miss you, babe  
And I don't wanna miss a thing  
'Cause even when I dream of you  
The sweetest dream would never do  
I'd still miss you, babe  
And I don't wanna miss a thing  
  
Don't wanna close my eyes  
Don't wanna fall asleep, yeah  
I don't wanna miss a thing  
  
  
  
END OF MARSHMALLOW #4  
  
A/N: Must I mention the song requests again?   
  
If anyone was curious, I own absolutely nothing. Not the song, not the characters (though nobody's mentioned anyway) but the plot, yes I do own.  
  
This was based on Aerosmith's 'I Don't Want to Miss a Thing' from the movie "Armageddon". I normally don't go for rock, but I thought that this was a very sweet song.  
  
I'm off now, to hunt for the song of the next marshmallow!  
  
-Venus163 


End file.
